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Nature of Incident: Suspects Arrested for Identity Theft
By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Thursday, July 25th, 2024
On 07/23/2024, two suspects were arrested in Fillmore for Identity Theft and related crimes. On 07/22/2024, Fillmore patrol deputies responded to the 100 Block of B Street in Fillmore reference a mail theft. Residents called to report a community mailbox had been broken into and several people had their mail stolen. During the nighttime hours, a victim called Sheriff’s Dispatch to report their credit card had been fraudulently used at a local motel. Fillmore patrol deputies responded to the motel and located evidence related to the mail and identity thefts. Additionally, patrol personnel identified a suspect vehicle, and (S) Vanessa Lopez out of Moreno Valley as a person of interest. On 07/23/2024, during the early morning hours, patrol personnel located the suspect’s vehicle in the 100 block of Surrey Way in Fillmore. Detectives from the Fillmore Bureau of Investigation responded to assist. At about 0245 hours, Fillmore detectives and patrol deputies contacted and detained Lopez near the suspect vehicle. She was with a male identified as (S) Ryan Araujo from Rialto. During the detention, additional evidence linking both Lopez and Araujo to the mail and identity thefts was discovered. Ultimately, both Lopez and Araujo were arrested for several offenses including Penal Code § 182(a)(1) – [Conspiracy to Commit a Crime], 530.5(e) – [Mail Theft], 484(g) – [Fraudulent Use of Access Card], and 530.5(c)(3) – [Identity Theft of Ten Victims or More]. Araujo was additionally arrested for Penal Code § 148.9(a) – [Providing False Information to Peace Officer], 529(a)(3) – [False Impersonation of Another], and Health & Safety Code § 11377(a) – [Possession of a Controlled Substance]. Both Lopez and Araujo were transported to the Pre-Trial Detention Facility (PTDF) where they were booked for the aforementioned offenses pending court proceedings. Nature of Incident: Suspects Arrested for Identity Theft (S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age Prepared by: Sergeant Jarrod Foote |
